FaaSTrac

Inspiration

Wanting to reduce financial risk of ownership of farm equipment and allowing an opportunity for diaspora to have direct social impact on farmers in emerging economies by assisting to provide them with appropriate equipment to improve farming and yield.

What it does

FaaSTrac provides affordable access to a range of farming equipment, inputs and capabilities to subsistence and community farmers on a pay per use basis. A platform that allows diaspora to pool ownership of farm equipment that will be rented out to farmers who cannot afford to own or use vehicles in the long term. Gives farmers access to better infrastructure at manageable costs.

How I built it

Beginning with database diagram modelling and developing a UI using Angular. User Flows were made and context of use was taken into account. Designed a business model from all angles and then scoped the project to make clear what tech we needed. Put together the presentation for the team. Solved key risks with the operational model. Calculated impact.

Challenges I ran into

Understanding the demographic, wealth disparity, social and governmental issues of African nations. The time limit to assess and build on this idea. SMS is a declining technology that is difficult to use. Learning how to prototype quickly. Coding without time invested into initial planning. Understanding what changes were going to be important for the tech team. Re-scoping the idea when we encountered significant roadblocks.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

Finishing the hack. Coming up with and analysing a complex yet simple idea. Fully designing a business model that should work, be sustainable and be scalable. Helping to manage the team's capacity and workstreams. Understanding more about the tech side.

What I learned

Farming is a complex industry affected by many social and economic problems. Understood scale of farmer problems in Nigeria.